Loffler Companies has partnered with Burnsville-based Northland Business Systems

Posted by & filed under Court Recording, Dictation.

Loffler CompaniesLoffler Companies has partnered with Burnsville-based Northland Business Systems to provide dictation and court recording solutions. We are truly confident in Northland Business Systems’ ability to support your needs. Since 1982, Northland Business Systems has been one of the most trusted names for voice and video recording solutions, and like Loffler, their business has grown to have a nationwide presence.

Beginning Wednesday, November 30, 2022, Northland Business Systems will be handling support and sales for dictation and court recording inquiries. Please contact Northland directly at (952) 894-4204 or email service@northlandsys.com.

(Article originally published at https://www.loffler.com/loffler-partners-with-nbs-for-dictation-solutions)

 

Kaseya Ransomware Attack

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity.

Kaseya Ransomware Attack: a Reality Check for State and Local Government and for-profit and nonprofit business

The fallout from the recent ransomware attacks — just weeks after the Colonial Pipeline hack should be a reality check for any firm that has yet to take adequate steps to secure its networks and systems.

Organizations and businesses of all sizes (big or small) should be paying particularly close attention to their cybersecurity exposures. According to SCORE, a nonprofit advisory organization, 71 percent of all cyberattacks occur at organizations with under 100 employees, and stakes are high: three out of five victims of cybercrime fold within six months.

Ransomware, along with other forms of cybercrime, is on the rise. What may change due to the recent spate of attacks, which we hope will change, is that more small- and medium-sized organizations will take note and take stock of how they’ve been securing their systems — and take the critical steps to shore up their defenses. Unfortunately, industry surveys show that many organizations still haven’t invested in cybersecurity or invested enough believing they’re unlikely targets. For hackers, that’s low-hanging fruit, and that vulnerability extends to clients and vendors too.

According to IBM, $2.64 million… the average cost of a data breach to enterprises with up to 500 employees. Moreover, vulnerabilities will continue to persist within the dynamic digital landscape due to our increasingly interconnected world.

This challenges everyone’s ability to protect their critical infrastructure and enterprise operations. The good news is, there are solutions out there that can arm you against even the most sophisticated cyber threats. For example, the LinkGuard solution locks down data streams isolating and containing core data to your operations. LinkGuard also outperforms complex and insecure solutions like firewalls and TLS or IPsec VPNs to protect certain U.S. national security networks operations for over 20 years with no hacks. In addition, the AppGuard solution protects endpoints and services without relying on detection, signature, patching, or other dependencies to prevent breaches from occurring in the first place.

Would you please let us know how we can protect your business?

AppGuard

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity, Redbox, Verint.

Stop cyber threats, data breaches, and hostile activity in its tracks… Secure critical files, including PCI, HIPPA, and other essential private information.

Working with Northland and our partner Blue Ridge Networks will provide your organization with a self-sufficient, Zero-Trust solution to lock down your data and critical network infrastructure.

AppGuard from Blue Ridge Networks is a sophisticated preventative solution that employs a zero-trust approach to cybersecurity within the workstations and servers it protects in real-time. AppGuard was designed differently than traditional cybersecurity solutions and does not serve as a detection tool. Its unique, patented isolation technology blocks and reports all nonconforming actions, protecting endpoints from malicious attack vectors such as:

  • Viruses
  • Fileless malware
  • Botnets
  • Polymorphic malware
  • Weaponized documents
  • Targeted attacks
  • In-memory attacks
  • Ransomware
  • Phishing
  • Watering-holes
  • Drive-by-downloads
  • … and other undetectable advanced threats.

The lightweight AppGuard solution is designed with patented technology that provides seamless, proven preventative protection.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you prevent cyber-attacks.

Helping protect your organization every day

Posted by & filed under Online Meeting Recording, Redbox, Verint.

More and more, organizations are concerned about liability and the desire to protect their operations. As more organizations look to collaborate remotely, many are turning to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams helps organizations across industries capture, retain, analyze, and retrieve all communications – including voice calling, chat, online meetings, and screen sharing.

Additionally, organizations are also concerned with customer care and how to improve their customer experience. There are many reasons to record your organization’s phone calls and online communications (to name a few):

  • Mandated through regulation
  • Liability protection
  • Custom order validation
  • Quality analytics for customer service, sales, and marketing

Many ask, how do I know if I am legally able to record your calls? Only 12 states require “dual-party” notification (i.e., both parties on the phone call must know they are registering); all other states are single party notification. Here are the states that are dual-party notification:

  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Florida
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Montana
  • Illinois
  • New Hampshire
  • Pennsylvania
  • Michigan
  • Missouri
  • Oregon

Northland has the history, knowledge, and experience to help protect your organization through multi-media recording, including Microsoft Teams or many other applications

 

For more information on call recording regulations, visit: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/recording-telephone-conversations

For more information on how we can help with your multi-media recording needs, visit: https://www.verint.com/press-room/2020-press-releases/verint-launches-compliance-recording-for-the-full-breadth-of-microsoft-teams-collaboration/

https://www.redboxvoice.com/compliance-recording-for-microsoft-teams

https://northlandsys.com/products/voice-logging/

Northland honors those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. National Police Week (NPW) public events canceled, Candlelight Vigil will be live-streamed on May 13.

Posted by & filed under Uncategorized.

May 10-16 is National Police Week & May 15 National Police Officers Memorial Day. Due to health concerns, the previously scheduled public events have been canceled.

The names of fallen U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty will be formally dedicated on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washinton DC. This year, 307 more names are being engraved on those walls, and this dedication will take place during a virtual Candlelight Vigil on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

Here is the link to join online: https://www.facebook.com/events/549645022413112/

On Friday, May 15, “National Peace Officers Memorial Day,” all sworn personnel will be wearing a black mourning band over their uniform badge. Also, flags across the nation will be flown at half-staff, honoring our fallen peace officers.

To learn more about the National Law Enforcement Memorial visit: https://nleomf.org/memorial

Today and every day, we honor the memory of these officers and send thoughts and prayers to their families.

COVID-19 and Cybersecurity

Posted by & filed under Cybersecurity.

April was saturated with news about the coronavirus pandemic and its implications for the economy, national health, and our daily lives. The cybersecurity industry is no exception, and our partner, the Blue Ridge Networks team, has spent a great deal of time discussing pandemic-related threats and vulnerabilities. The rapid transition to accommodate a new remote workforce has created vulnerabilities for businesses across the board. The increased use of personal devices, and a significantly higher volume of business operations conducted over the internet, has dramatically increased the attack surface for hackers. In this environment, it’s no longer enough to rely on detection. A comprehensive defense-in-depth strategy that employs preventative solutions is the most reliable and effective way to protect your organization. It’s important to remember that you are only as strong as your weakest link, and with the exponentially high number of employees working from home, there are many new weak links to look out for. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out. Northland and the Blue Ridge Networks team is available to help with your network security needs. 

Body-Worn Camera Grant Applications Due February 16, 2017

Posted by & filed under Body Cameras.

REMINDER: Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program FY 2017 Competitive Grant due February 16, 2017

Law enforcement agencies across the country and worldwide are using body-worn cameras (BWC) as a promising tool to improve law enforcement interactions with the public. BWCs can provide a visual and audio record of interactions. This competitive solicitation is for law enforcement agencies seeking to establish or enhance BWC Policy and Implementation Programs (PIP). Successful applicants will be responsible for a mandatory 50 percent in-kind or cash match.

The FY 2017 BWC PIP will support the implementation of body-worn camera programs in law enforcement agencies across the country. The intent of the program is to help agencies develop, implement, and evaluate a BWC program as one tool in a law enforcement agency’s comprehensive problem-solving approach to enhance officer interactions with the public and build community trust.

There are four grant categories as follows:

CATEGORY 1: IMPLEMENTATION OR EXPANSION OF BWC PROGRAMS FOR SMALL AGENCIES. Competition ID: BJA-2017-12240

This funding category seeks to establish new or expand existing BWC programs in police agencies with 25 or fewer sworn officers. Applicants may request no more than $50,000 under this category. BJA estimates 40 awards will be made in this category for an estimated total amount of $2,000,000.

Funding Metric:

There is a minimum request of $10,000 for this category. If an agency does not require this level of funding they are encouraged to partner with other criminal justice agencies to combine projects and have one of the agencies act as the applicant while the partner agencies act as sub-recipients.

This category is not restricted by the $1,500 camera metric (see below), though peer reviewers and BJA will consider the cost ratio of requested funds to the number of body-worn cameras requested. All categories must follow the 50 percent funding match requirement.

CATEGORY 2: IMPLEMENTATION OR EXPANSION OF BWC PROGRAMS FOR MID-SIZED AGENCIES. Competition ID: BJA-2017-12241

This funding category seeks to establish new or expand existing BWC programs in mid-sized police agencies with more than 25 sworn officers and up to 250 sworn officers. Applicants may request no more than $400,000 under this category. BJA estimates 10 awards will be made in this category for an estimated total amount of $4,000,000.

Funding Metric:

Applicants for this category may request no more than $1,500.00 for each camera to be deployed in this phase of their BWC program, up to the agency size funding limitations (see below). Though funds are correlated to the number of cameras, awarded funds may also be used for any part of the BWC program other than line-item data storage costs, which can only be covered with matching funds. BWC systems that are bundled or sold as software-as-a-service (SAAS) with no line-item distinction to data storage costs are permissible for award funding.

CATEGORY 3: IMPLEMENTATION OR EXPANSION OF BWC PROGRAMS FOR LARGE AGENCIES. Competition ID: BJA-2017-12242

This funding category seeks to establish new or expand existing BWC programs in large police agencies with more than 250 and up to 1,000 sworn officers. Eight awards are anticipated, and applicants may request no more than $750,000 for an estimated total amount of $6,000,000 under this category.

Funding Metric:

Applicants for this category may request no more than $1,500.00 for each camera to be deployed in this phase of their BWC program, up to the agency size funding limitations (see below). Though funds are correlated to the number of cameras, awarded funds may also be used for any part of the BWC program other than line-item data storage costs, which can only be covered with matching funds. BWC systems that are bundled or sold as software-as-a-service (SAAS) with no line-item distinction to data storage costs are permissible for award funding.

CATEGORY 4: IMPLEMENTATION OR EXPANSION OF BWC PROGRAMS FOR EXTRALARGE AGENCIES. Competition ID: BJA-2017-12243

This funding category seeks to establish new or expand existing BWC programs in extra-large police agencies with more than 1,000 sworn officers. Five awards are anticipated, and applicants may request no more than $1,000,000 for an estimated total of $5,000,000 under this category.

Funding Metric:

Applicants for this category may request no more than $1,500.00 for each camera to be deployed in this phase of their BWC program, up to the agency size funding limitations (see below). Though funds are correlated to the number of cameras, awarded funds may also be used for any part of the BWC program other than line-item data storage costs, which can only be covered with matching funds. BWC systems that are bundled or sold as software-as-a-service (SAAS) with no line-item distinction to data storage costs are permissible for award funding.

CAMERA-BASED FUNDING METRIC FORMULA FOR CATEGORIES 2, 3, and 4: Number of Cameras in Project X $1,500 = Max. Requested Funds Max. Requested Funds + Matching Funds = Total Program Cost

  • Note: $1,500.00 is not the expected cost of a body-worn camera. Paired with the matching funds, it is the expected total program costs for one (1) camera system to include: Camera, Storage, Software, Licenses, Services, Policy Development, Training, etc.

Example 1: An agency may request $150,000 in funding for a 100-camera program ($1,500 X 100), while actually only spending $100,000 of awarded funds 9 BJA-2017-11221 on cameras; the other $50,000 could be spent on planning and training

staff. Additionally, the soft-match requirements could be met by line-item data storage and other agency costs and partner program expenses such as those incurred by prosecutors, defense bar, or community outreach.

Example 2: Agencies could apply directly under a category based on the size of their agency, or they could partner with other agencies to bring the combined sworn officers count up to another category’s minimum officer count.

Example 3: An agency that applies for $100,000 in federal funds will have to identify a minimum of $100,000 of in-kind or cash matching funds. This means the total program cost is at least $200,000 for this example.

 

For More Information, click the link to the BJA website: https://www.bja.gov/bwc/index.html

For details on Northland’s body camera offerings, please click here.